Stop motion for looms



M. M. ROSENSTEIN 2,874,728

STOP MOTION FOR LOOMS Feb. 24, 1959 Original Filed Sept. 21. 1954 4 I. H t

- IN VEN TOR. Mrc/mu M- Po saws TE/N STOP MOTION FOR LOOMS- Mitchell M. Rosenstein, Willimantlc, Conn.

Continuation of application Serial No. 457,323, Septemlsaeg 1954. This application May 2, 1955, Serial No.

13 'Claims. 01. 139-371 This invention relates to a stop motion for looms, and more particularly to a'stop motion for terminating the operation of a loom upon the breakage or run-out of a filler or weft thread. The present application is a continuation of my co-pending application Serial No. 457,323, filed September 21, 1954, now abandoned.

This-invention is particularly intended for use in narrow fabric looms which, as well known to those skilled in the art, normally include a plurality of shuttles which are reciprocated through the warp shed and are guided for movement in shuttle blocks disposed on the opposite sides of the shed; said shuttleblocks having pinion gears therein for actuating the shuttles.

- The primary object of the present invention is to provide a stop motion mechanismfor suchlooms which will cause stoppage of the loom should the filler thread in a shuttle be broken or exhausted, but which will not be caused to operate by any normal slacking of said thread that may occur due to the movement of the shuttle in the loom.

A further object of this invention is to provide a stop motion device which is incorporated in the shuttles and in the shuttle blocks of the loom, but which willnot alter the operation of said shuttlesorthe threading thereofin the normal manner. V

A still further object of the invention is the provisionof such a stop motion which can be readily installed in shuttles and in shuttle blocks of standardform without requiring extensive modifications or changes therein.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be more clearly understood from the following description and from the accompanying drawings in which:

.Fig. 1 is a bottom view of a conventional shuttle, partially in section, showing an embodiment ofthe present invention therein.

Fig. 2 is an end view of said shuttle. Fig. 3 is a rear view thereof. Fig. 4 is a front view of a shuttle block used in conjunction with the said shuttle. v

Fig. 5 is a top view, partiallyin section, illustrating the shuttle in the shuttle fblock.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end view, partly in verticalsec tion, showing portions of the said shuttle, shuttle block and the batten of the loom on which they are mounted. -Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electric circuit which is controlled by my improved stop motion.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be noted that I have illustrated only one shuttle and one shuttle block. It will be understood, however, that my invention is preferably incorporatedin each shuttle and shuttle block oi the loom in the manner shown.

In the embodiment illustrated, the numeral 5 denotes a shuttle of conventional form such as commonly used.

on looms for weaving narrow fabrics. The said shuttle is slidable in a groove 6 in a shuttle block 7 of conventional form which has rotatably mounted therein a pair of drive gears 8 that mesh with a row of teeth 9 in the shuttle and drive said shuttle through shed pr the 2,874,728 Paitented Feb. 24, 1959 material being woven in the loom and into the groove of the block on the opposite side thereof. Such shuttles usually have an opening 10 therein in which is rotatably mounted a quill 11 that has the filler thread 12 wound thereon. A brake bar 13 is normally employed to prevent free rotation of the quill. In the type of shuttle illustrated, there are provided a pair of slack take-up and filler tensioning springs 14-14 which are contained in holes 15-15 in the shuttle and carry at their free outer ends thread receiving rings. 16-16. A separate ring 17 is provided at the top of the opening 10 and a thread guide eye 18 extends through the outer end of the shuttle adjacent'to said ring 17. In convetnional shuttles ofthe type above described, the springs 14-14 are usually anchored at one end in the holes 15-15 and are adapted to maintain tension on the filler thread 12 as it is unwound from the quill during operation of the loom.

The filler thread is threaded in the shuttle by first pass ing it through the ring 17, then through the rings16-16 and then through the guide eye 18 as shown. As the filler thread is pulled fromthe quill 11 by the movement of the shuttle through the shed of the warp, the rings 16-16 will be pulled toward the center of the shuttle and the springs 14-14 will expand and thus properly tension the filler thread and also prevent slack in said filler thread.

In adapting my present invention to the conventional type of shuttles above described, a longitudinal groove 19 is cut in the lbotto-m of the shuttle and across the openings of the said holes-1515. An elongated contact shoe, preferably in the form of a flat spring bar 20, is secured to the bottom of the groove 19 by suitable fastening means, such as screws or nails 21-21 and theop posite ends of the said spring bar 20 are provided with contact points 22-22 and are normally biased away from the bottom of the groove. Stop pins 21-a-21-a are provided adjacent the free ends of the spring bar 20 in shallow grooves in the bottom of the groove 6 in each to limit movement of said free ends to a predetermined position such as illustrated in Fig. 1. The ends of the coil springs 14-14 are anchored to the free ends of the flat springs 20 by any suitable means.

The contacts 22-22 are located at opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the spring bar 20 and, when the shuttle is disposed in the groove in the shuttle block, each of said contacts is in register with one of a pair of parallel electrical conductor bars 23-23 which are disposed of the shuttle blocks 7 and project above the surface of said bottom. The said shuttle blocks 7 are mounted upon the batten 24 of a conventional loom and the bars 23-23 are connected in parallel to a pair of electrical conductors 25-25 that are included in the electrical circuit, as illustrated in Fig. 7, and which may extend along the top of the said batten. The said electrical circuit also includes a suitable electro-magnetic device such as a solenoid 26 for operating a circuitbreaker switch 27.

The pulling capacity of the springs 14-14 is such that the said springs are capable of retracting the ends of the contact spring bar 20 only when the said springs are stretched for normal tensioning of the filler thread and not when said springs are contracted.

When the shuttle is threaded and is operating in the normal manner, the tension applied to the tiller thread 12 will cause the rings 16-16 to be pulled towards the center of the shuttle, thereby stretching the springs 14-14 and pulling the opposite ends of the fiat spring bar 20 against the bottom of the groove 19 to retain the conquill during the operation of the loom,' the pull on the;

ings. 15-16 will cease and the springs L t-1,47, will contract into the position illustrated in Fig. 1 and permit the free ends of the flat spring-20 to move away from the bottom of the groove 19 and carry the contacts '22-22 into engagement with the bars 23-23 thereby closing the electric circuit, shown in Fig. 7, and causing energization, of the solenoid 26 which will then open the switch 27, break, the circuit and terminate the operation of the loom by de-energizing the driving motor 28 thereof.

It will be clearly understood from the above description that when the filler thread is under tension and the springs 14-14 are expanded during the normal operation of the shuttle, the contacts 22-22 will be held out of engagement with the conductor bars 23-23. However, when the filler thread breaks or is exhausted from the quill, the springs 14-14 will contract, the pull exerted by said springs on the free ends of the flat spring 20 will be released and the said free ends of the spring 20 will move towards the conductor bars to cause engagement of the contacts 22-22 therewith and closing of the electric circuit. 1

It will be understood that both of the contacts 22-22 must be in engagement with the conductor bars 23 before the electric circuit of the stop motion mechanism is closed. This will prevent closing of the circuit when only one of the springs 14 is released which could occur due to a slackening of the filler thread during normal operation of the shuttle. It is desired that the circuit be closed to stop the loom only when the filler thread has been broken, or is exhausted from the quill, and it is only under these circumstances that both of the springs 14-14 will be released.

It will be further understood from the above description that my invention provides a novel stop motion mechanism which can be incorporated in a shuttle of con: ventional form by merely forming the groove 19 in the bottom thereof, mounting the flat spring 20 in said groove and connecting the ends of the springs 14-14 to the free ends thereof, The shuttle blocks 7 require no alteration except for the mounting of the bars 23-23 upon the bottom of the grooves 6 and this may be done by simply bending the ends of the said bars around the opposite ends of the block or into slots 29-29 which may be easily cut in the backs of said shuttle blocks.

' I claim:

1. In a loom including a shuttle block, a shuttle movable in said block, and a quill rotatably mounted in said shuttle and carrying a filler thread thereon; a stop motion mechanism including an elongated spring mounted by its intermediate portion upon the exterior of said shuttle and having at its opposite ends flexible free portions with electrical contact members thereon, electrical conductor means secured to saidshuttle block in register with said contact members, means connecting said filler thread with said flexible portions whereby said portions are pulled away from said conductor means when the tiller thread is under tension to retain the contacts out of engagement therewith; said flexible portions being normally biased toward the conductor means and adapted to move said contacts into engagement therewith whenthe tension on said filler thread is released.

2. In a loom including a shuttle block, a shuttle slidable in said block, and a quill rotatably mounted in said shuttle and having a filler thread wound thereon; a stop motion mechanism includinga spring bar mounted upon an exterior portion of said shuttle and having a resilient end portion normally biased in a direction away from the said shuttle, a conductor bar within the shuttle block adjacent to said spring .bar and adapted to be engaged by the said resilient portion thereof, a tensioning spring anchored at one end to said resilient end portion, a ring carried by the other end of the tensioning spring for receiving the filler thread; the said tensioning spring being of sufficient strength to retain the resilient-portion of the spring bar out of con-tact with the conductor bar during the normal passage of the filler thread from the quill through the said ring; the resilient end portion of said spring bar being adapted to move into contact with the conductor bar upon the slackening of the filler thread and release of the tensioning spring, and means operable upon engagement of the said end portion of the spring bar with the conductor bar for stopping the operation of the loom.

3. For a loom including a shuttle block, a shuttle slidable in said block, and a quill having a filler thread wound thereon; a stop motion mechanism including a pair of stationary conductor bars, mounted on said block, a spring bar secured to the shuttle and disposed adjacent to said conductor bars; the said spring bar having-flexible end portions normally biased towards the conductor bars, a tensioning spring secured at one end to each of said flexible end portions, 21 ring at the opposite end of each of said tensioning springs for receiving the filler thread therethrough, one of said flexible end portions of the circuit rendered operable upon the release of both flexiblev spring bar being engageable with one of the conductor bars and the other flexible end portion being engage able with the other conductor bar, the said tensioning springs being of suflicient strength to retain the flexible end portions of the spring bar out of engagement with the conductor bars; said flexible end portions of the spring bar being adapted to engage their respective conductor bars when the tensioning springs are released, an electric circuit including said conductor bars, and means in said end portions of the spring bar by breakage of the filler thread for stopping the operation of the loom.

4. For a loom including a shuttle block, a shuttle slidable in said block, and a quill rotatably mounted in said shuttle and carrying a filler thread; a stop motion mechanism including a pair of stationary electrical conductor bars mounted in said block, a spring bar secured to the bottom of the shuttle adjacent to said conductor bars and having flexible opposite end portions normally biased toward said conductor bars, a tensioning spring secured at-one end to each of said flexible end portions and extending through the body of the shuttle into a space therein above the quill, a ring secured to the opposite end of each tensioning spring and adapted to receive the tiller thread therethrough; said tensioning springs being stretched and retaining the flexible end portions of the spring bar out of contact with their respective conductor bars when the filler thread is under tension, an electric circuit including said, conductor bars, and means in said circuit for stopping the operation of the loom upon engagement of the said conductor bars by the flexible end,

portions of-the spring bar; one of said'flexible end portions being adapted to engage one of the conductor bars and the other flexible end portion being adapted to engagev the other conductor bar whereby it is necessary that both tensioning springs be released in order to close the electric circuit.

5. In a loom including a shuttle block, a shuttle slidable in said block, and a quill rotatably mounted in said shuttle and carrying a filler thread, a pair of parallel stationary conductor bars mounted on said block, a flexible spring bar secured to the bottom of the shuttle adjacent to said conductor bars; the end portions of said spring bar being normally biased toward the conductor bars, an electrical contact carried on each of said end portions; one of said contacts being engageable with one of the conductor bars and the other contact being engageable withthe other conductor bar, a tensioning spring anchored at one end to each of said end portions of the spring bar and having a ring at its opposite free end for receiving the filler thread, an electric circuit including said conductor bars, the said tensioning springs being of sufiicient strength to pulltheir respective end portions of the spring bar away from the conductor bars and thereby retain the electric circuit in open condition while the filler thread close the said circuit-when both of the tensioning springs are released due to excessive slackening or breakage of the filler thread and movement of both flexible end portions thereof into contact with their respective contact bars, and means rendered operable upon the closing of said circuit for stopping the operation of the loom.

6. In combination with a shuttle block and a shuttle slidable in said block and carrying a filler thread, a stop motion mechanism including a pair of parallel electrical conductors mounted in said block, a contact bar having flexible end portions normally biased toward said conductors and each carrying a contact member engageable with a diiferent one of said conductors, an electric circuit connected to said conductors, the said shuttle having holes in the body thereof opening adjacent the flexible end portions of the spring bar, a tensioning spring contained within each of said holes and having one end thereof secured to the adjacent flexible end portion of the spring bar, a ring at the opposite end of each of said tensioning springs for receiving the filler thread; the said tensioning springs being of a sufficient strength to draw their respective flexible end portions of the spring bar away from the conductor bars to retain the said contacts out of engagement therewith; said flexible end portions being adapted to move their respective contact members into engagement with their respective conductor bars upon the release of the tensioning spring by the filler thread to close the said electric circuit.

7. In combination with a shuttle block and a shuttle movable in said block and carrying a filler thread, a stop motion mechanism including a pair of parallel conductor ars mounted upon the said block, a spring bar secured to the base of the shuttle and contained in a groove in the bottom thereof adjacent to the said conductor bars; the said spring bar having flexible end portions normally biased toward the conductor bars and each carrying a contact member engageable with a different one of said conductor bars, an electric circuit including said conductor bars; the body of the shuttle having holes extending therethrough and opening adjacent each of said flexible end portions of the spring bar, a tensioning spring contained in each of said holes and having one end thereof anchored to the adjacent end portion of the spring bar, and a ring secured to the opposite end of each spring to receive the filler thread; the said tensioning springs being of sufficient strength to pull their respective end portions of the spring bar away from the conductor bars and thereby retain the contact members out of engagement therewith during the normal tensioning of the filler thread by the tensioningv springs, the said flexible portions being adapted to move their respective contact members into engagement with their respective conductor bars when the tensioning springs are released by excessive slackening or breakage of the filler thread to close the electric circuit, and means rendered operable upon the closing of said electric circuit for causing stoppage of the loom.

8. For a loom including a shuttle block with electrical conductor means thereon, a shuttle having a quill rotatably mounted therein for carrying a filler thread, an elongated flat spring member mounted upon the exterior of said shuttle and having flexible contact portions normally biased into position to contact said conductor means, and means connecting the filler thread with the contact portions whereby the said portions are pulled away from the contact position while the filler thread is under tension.

9. For a loom having a shuttle block with an electrical conductor thereon; a shuttle including a quill for a filler thread, a spring contractible for tensioning said thread, and a contact member on said shuttle connected to said spring and biased into position to contact said conductor; the said spring being capable of retaining the contact member out of contacting position while tensioning said thread.

10. For a loom having an electrical conductor thereon, a shuttle including a quill for a filler thread, a tensioning spring for tensioning'said thread and contact means on the bottom of said shuttle connected to said tensioning spring and normally biased into position to contact said conductor; the said tensioning spring being of suflicient strength to pull the contact means out of contact position while tensioning the thread.

11. A shuttle including a contact member thereon normally biased into position to contact an electrical conductor mounted in a loom independently of said shuttle and a tensioning spring anchored by one end to said contact member and connected by its opposite end to a filler thread in the shuttle, the said spring when stretched by the thread being capable of pulling the contact member out of contact position.

12. A shuttle having a quill for carrying a filler thread thereon, electrical contact means mounted upon said shuttle and biased into position to contact an electrical conductor mounted in a loom independently of said shuttle and separate tensioning means for the said filler thread connected to the contact means and capable of pulling said contact means out of contacting position while the thread is under the tension of said tensioning means and to release saidcontact means into contacting position when the tension on the filler thread is released.

13. In a loom including a shuttle block, a shuttle movable in said block and a quill mounted in said shuttle and carrying a filler thread thereon; a stop motion mechanism including electrical conductor means on said block, electrical contact means carried by the shuttle and adapted to contact said conductor means, spring means normally biasing said contact means into position to contact said conductor means, and a spring for tensioning said thread connected to said contact means for retaining same out of said position against the force of said biasing spring while the thread is under tension.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 384,934 Rush et al June 19, 1888 2,470,981 Hardick May 24, 1949 2,628,641 Siciliano Feb. 17, 1953 2,740,433 Ballard Apr. 3, 1956 2,746,490 Hall May 22, 1956 2,788,025 Waterhouse et al. Apr. 9, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,000,953 France Oct. 17, 1951 

